Sunday, October 26, 2014

Spiritual Journeys seeks to illuminate the way for those who are out there searching for a deeper connection and for those who have lost their way. Spiritual Journeys and every post on Feasting on the Divine welcomes conversation. Use the comment section to join in. Need a little more privacy? Email me.

Today's post is an interview withDr. Lyn Cheevers! She shares her story with an honesty in which we all can relate. My hope is that her words bless you and motivate you to follow her one key piece of advice which she shares in her interview.

Tell us a
little about who you are:

I
am a child of God. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I grew up
in rural southwest Georgia. I am the mother of two sons- Stephen 20 and Anthony
12. I am the daughter of Hilton and Virginia Cheevers. I am a sister. I am a
friend and lover of humanity.

I
hold a Doctor of Education in adult education and have worked as a educator in
the field of adult education for about 18 years in different capacities with
different titles. I'm currently employed by the Department of Defense as a
training administrator.Teaching is one
of my spiritual gifts and I often use that gift within the body of Christ while
facilitating workshops, Sunday school, and new members’ classes.

What and when was your first glimpse of a spiritual awakening?

My
first glimpse of a spiritual awakening was when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I
had a dream about a group of people walking on a path toward a destination. At
some point the group was pursued by what seemed to be a lion. The group reached
a fork in the road. One part of the group went in one direction with the
remainder going in the other direction.

I
shared the dream with my mother. She thought it was significant and mentioned
it during Bible Study at church one evening. I stood in front of the church to
share the dream. God was awakening the gift of the prophetic seer. The dream
that I had was foretelling a Church split which occurred several years later.

I've
had many dreams over the years. I journal them and pray for illumination and
inspiration to pray effectively according to the will of God in light of the
revelation.

What is the importance of your spiritual life?

My spiritual life is essential to every aspect of
life. I believe wisdom is required to successfully navigate through life and
that all wisdom begins with a reverential fear of God. Therefore in order for
me to be successful in life I must reverently fear God by worshipping and
serving Him.

What was the most difficult part of your journey? What
was the most inspiring?

The most difficult part of my spiritual journey was
finding God for myself. I grew up in a home of believers and attended church
regularly as a child; however, I did not develop a personal relationship with
God through Christ until later in life. During that time when I was in search of
my own relationship with God, I traveled some pretty dark paths. There was a
void in the seat of my soul. I'm thankful that my soul is now anchored in God
through Christ.

The most inspiring part of the journey is coming to
the realization that God knows my name, that my image is tattooed on the palm
of His hand. And that He sees me, hears me, and answers my prayers according to
His purposes.

As much as you are comfortable, share some things that
have strengthen your faith.

My faith is always strengthened when God brings me
through challenging times. There was a time as a divorced, single mother I was
unemployed for nine months. God met all
of my needs according to His riches in glory. He provided food, shelter and
clothing for me and my children. These are things that many take for granted
until you find yourself in need. We ate a lot of pasta and rice but God saw us
through. I know God personally as Jehovah Jireh.

I know God personally as Jehovah Rapha. In 2011 I
was very ill. I had a respiratory infection, bronchitis, and a small amount of
fluid in my lungs. During the illness I heard about a seemingly healthy, 30-
something year-old dying of walking pneumonia.

I received my healing when I was asked a very
provocative question by my mother. As a retired nurse, she didn't ask me about
the types of antibiotics I had taken.
She didn't ask me about how much fluids I was drinking or what I was
taking to reduce the high fever. She asked me simply "how is your prayer
life"? I knew immediately that this was spiritual warfare and mom was
reminding me to fight using one of the best offensive and defensive tools we
have- prayer. She and others were praying
for me, but this fight required my participation as well. The enemy wanted to take me out. But God said
no. I began to pray according to Psalm 91 daily, several times a day at appointed
times. The Word was the prescription which healed me.

I know God personally as Jehovah Shalom. I've worked
in a very chaotic environment for the past two years. God has given me peace in
the midst of the storm.

If you could give one piece of advice to others on
their spiritual journey, what would that be?

Advice that I give to others on their spiritual
journey is seek an intimate, personal relationship with God early in life.

Thank you, Dr. Lyn!

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24

Monday, October 13, 2014

I have the uncanny ability to call my Mom at the exact moment she is about to eat or is actually eating. As she's gotten older, my Mom has decided to thank of it as sweet or endearing instead of frustrating. Many times I was met with "Girl, can you just smell it when I start cooking?!"

Well, the other Sunday was no different. I called and she was having dinner. So jokingly, I said, "Mom maybe it's related to my actual birth day.What were you doing when I came into the world?"
She laughed and said, "Eating!"

"You were born on the 3rd Sunday in August. It was the last day of revival, and you know back then the women brought boxes of food for dinner at the church. I can remember like it was yesterday. I was sitting on a bench, under a tree, eating collard greens, cornbread, ham and potato salad trying to ignore my labor pains...because the food was so good," she told me through bursts of laughter. Her pauses heavy with reflection.

Before you say you don't eat mayo on seafood, try the Angry Mayo in this Michael Chiarello recipe.
I found this old favorite in my recipe collection. For some reason, I attributed it to Guy Fieri whenever I raved about it. I guess it was the "Angry Mayo"--sounds so Guy, doesn't it? I know...foodie stereotypes. *hehehe*

Orange zest, basil, chili pepper, lemon juice, gray salt--that's just the ingredients for the ill-tempered condiment! This recipe is flavor galore! Oh, there's a light crispy crunch to the shrimp thanks to Wondra (a very fine flour). You will love it. I've even had the mayo on catfish and tilapia, but I added a touch of spicy brown mustard.

Remember make the recipe your own and find ingredient substitutes, if needed. For example, Women's Health recommends several alternatives for flour on their website.

Whatever you choose, feast on this delicious sandwich and let me know what you think.

As a counselor, it is to empower you to access your full potential and live more authentically!

As a poet, it is to share words to inspire love, deliverance from hurtful situations and encourage a renewed relationship with God.

As a speaker, it is to provide a dynamic experience which will actively engage you and your group in learning and growing.

My professional background includes over 14 years as a Career Counselor providing education planning and career guidance. I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and National Board Certified Counselor with a Master’s degree in Psychology. My publications include After the Sixth Day: Notes from a Spiritual Journey and Pain is Fertile Ground—poetry collections focused on spiritual awakening and growth.

On a more personal note, the southern lady that I am loves to cook (have you seen my Pinterest board?) and have fun with my family! Are there any two things that bring more joy to a G.R.I.T.S. (Girl raised in the south)? Lol

I hope we stay connected because new ventures are on the way to enlighten your mind and to partner with you to chart a course for your success!